Electric signal for railroads.



H. J. & F. T. JONES.

ELECTRIC SIGNAL FOR RAILROADS.

APPLIoATIoN FILED-00T.' '1, 190e.

y 4, 1909. z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

FOR RAILROADS. APPLICATION FII.

ED 00T; 1, 1908.

Patented May 4, 1909.

2 SHEETS`SHEET 2.

Ulf BlITllvGRE, MARYLAND.

ne. sfiato?.

Specication oi s eters Patent.

Patented May 1.1., 1909.

Application Silea otohci' l. 1908 Serial No. tt.

ill/i all rwhoml mai' concern: l inc air-brakes and lfie. 5 is an enlar ed de- J ,Y ,v o. A :Be it Known that We, nonnina il. noxes tail in slee (aeration or the trip mechanism and Franti T. Jones, citizens ot' the linited States, residing at Baltimore, in the e of Maryland. have invented certain new and nset'ul Improvements in Electric Signals for Railroads, or' which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to .improvements in electric signals for railroads.

One object ol' the invention is to provide an iinpi'oifed arrangement of' block signals which will noi nally, and duri ng the absence of a train from the block, be maintained in the safety condition by a closed or compete circuit, ivlii 'h circuit upon 'the entrance of a train into the block will be shouted from the signal and set the latter to danger.

Another object is to provid.;I an ini'iroved construction of electro mechanical .mechanism which will electrically maintain the signal Vin a safety' position andnie ehenically operate said signal to set it .in a danger position so 'that in case the circuit is tampered with or in any Way disarranjl'd or broken the signal will automatically he set to thc danger position.

Another object is to provide an .improved construction of signal mechanism and to coinbine therewith an improved construction ot air brake operating mechanism whereby during the absence oit.' a train troni a bloei; the air-brale device on a train about lo euter said block will be electrically ni ila/ined in an inoperative position and will he inechanically operated when it attempts te enter a block While a train is in said block.

It will be obvious that the inventive idea here disclosed may be readily utilized to guard trains when' approaching` bril;` switches in that the circuit would be ,i by the opening of the switch or bri thus set the signal lo the danger position.

The invention illustrated inthe acc-oinpanying drawings in which,-

Figure l, illustrates diag animatically the application of the invention to a section or block ot' a railroad and shows the signal mechanism in the safety position. 2, is a similar View with the exception however that the signal mechanism is shown in the danger position. Fig. 3, is a diegi'annnatic View of the circuits and devices carried by the engine or motor Jfor eilieeting operation of the airhalres. Fig. et, is a plan View of the traekmechanisni ,for operating and i in he motor ci' engine for venting the trainline to effect an operation of the air brakes.

ln illustrating' the invention We have shown the saine as 'applied to a double-track road 'where the trains travel in one direction only on the rails but it is obvious that the invention may be applied to a. single track road by merely dnpl eation ofthe inechanisni and providing lil-:e inechanisin and electric connection. at each end of the lfilocl.

ln carrying' out he invention for a double track road we provide at the entrance to cach bloei; short insulated rail sections, l, and, D which are preferably arranged clirtctly opposite each other. Froin the said sections to the opposite end of the block the rails,

may he or the ordinary forni. lerabl'y adjacent the entrance to each wi'. provide a` battery, fl, -or other ot electrical energy, which in the piment` instance shown housed. in a boX- like ncturc, 5. ilroin one 'side of this batlei-y we run a. Wire, 6, which terminates at a d is connected with the insulated rail section, l, While a wire, 7, extends from the opposite side 01V. the battery and electrically connects the other rail section, 2.

A semaphore signalarn'i, S, is pivotally mounted on a suitable post, 9, and is operated by ineens o'l a rod, l0, thelower end of which is pivotally connected to the free end olE i' lvotcd armature, l1. r. electro-magnet, po ion adjacent the said ainiature. l. so .that when energized the magnet Will "lmet the armature and throw the signal in, S. to the safety position as shown in l. ln the present instance when in safety position the semaphore arm, S, i, in :in upWai'dly-inclined position but. it is obvious that hy the interposition of cranks evers it :nay haven downwardly-in clined position.

The electro-magnet, 12, is electrically connected by wire, 13, to theinsulated railsection, 2, so that 'from the battery, Ll, the

Ytrosinagnct, l5, 1which forms part of an air hi'alie operatingv mechanism. The track portion of this latter ineehanisin coniprises a contact plate, l6, .having position at one side of the road bed as clearlyshown in Figs. 3 and 4 and to which an L-shaped bar, 17, is connected soas to project in a lane beneath the magnet, 15. A similar y-shaped bar, 18, is attached to the rail, 3, sothat the two ends of the bars, 17, and 18, will terminate adjacent but spaced slightly from each other. An armature, 19, is pivotally mountd in any suitable manner so as to be operated b the magnet, 15, and alsoso that when t e magnet becomes denergzed it Will drop and close the gap between the adjacent ends of the bars, 7 and, 18, as shown in Fig. 2.

The energization of the magnet, 15, and the elevation of the armature, 19, is etfected by current that passes through Wire, 1.4, to the magnet -and then from the magnetby Wire, 20, to a main magnet, 21, in the box, This main electro-magnet, 21, operates an armature, 22, the free end of which when the armature is :drawn up against the magnet will contact with a spring plate, 23, so that When in this operated condition the current will flow from wire, 20, throughv magnet, 21,`by Wire, 24, to armature, 22, through the latter to contact plate, 23, and then by a'Wire, 25, to the rail section, 1, and from the latter through wire, 6,.b'ack to battery, 4, and thereby complete the circuit. Itis thus toibo u' "rstood that the circuit includes all three eiectro-magnets,12, 15, and, 21, andthat the safety signal is maintained so lonlf as all the magnets are ener ized and if, cftor any cause, thecircuit shou d become broken the denergization of the magnets results and the danger4 signal thereby set.

1When a train enters a block a short circuit is established by means of the Wheels,

26, and aXle, 27, so that the circuit embraces battery, 4, Wire, v'6, rail-section, 1, 'Wheels andv axle, 26, and, 27, rail-section, 42,A and Wire, 7, backto battery. This shortcircuit elfects a denergization' of all the magnets and results in setting the signal arm, 8, in

the horizontal or danger position. This danger signal remains Set until the train reaches the end of the block Where it will reestablish the circuit and again energize the magnets as will non7 be explained.

At the end of the block We insulate one rail, 3, from a `short rail-section, 28, and We provide a Wire, 29, which connects rail, 3, with Wire, 24, or one sideof the main magnet, 21. We also provide a Wire, 30, from rail-section, 28, back to battery wire, 6, so' that as the Wheels 'of the train ass from rail, 3, onto rail, 28, the circuit-Will be through Wire, 29, to magnet, 21; Wire, 20,.

to magnet, 15; Wire, 14, to magnet, 12; Wire, 13, to rail-section, 2, and Wire, 7 ,.to. one side -of battery, r4; then from the other side of the battery by Wires, 6, and, 30, back to rail-section, 28. This' completion of the cir cuit through all the magnets by the train leaving a block will cause the magnets to again be energized and the arm, 8, again set v in the safety position. v v

In case the engineer of a tram should fail to see orcorrectly distinguishA the danger signal While another train is in the block he is about to enter, We have provided the air-brake operatingv device heretofore referred to and the track-portion of which has -been described. We will therefore now proceed to briefly describe the train port-ion of this air-'brake apparatus.

k0n the engine or motor and interposed or connected t'o the train line or pipe, 31, we place a valve, 32, of suitable construction to effect a venting of the train pipe air. This valve is preferably located in the cab and in the present instance is provided with two arms 33 and 34,-the latter being provided with a weight. An electro-magnet, 35, is sustained in any suitable manner adjacent the valve, 32, and operates, when energized to attract and hold an armature, 36. This armature is provided with a hook-shaped end which projects beneath and forms a support for the '.tree end of' the valve arm, 33, so as to hold said arm in such a position as not to affect the train-pipe pressure. spring, 37, serves to exert a pull on the hookcnd of the armature but is not `of suiiioient strength to pullv the armature away as long as the magnet energized.

A battery, 38, is provided on the engine or motor and Wires,l 39, and, 40, respectively connect the Vopposite sides ofthe battery `with the poles of the magnet, 35, so as to keep the same energized and hold the armature beneath the lever, 33; From one side ot the battery, 38, we run a Wire, 41, to the axle onwheel, 42, While another wire, 43, runs from the other side of the said battery and connects with a yieldingly operated roller, 44, which We mount at the side of the pilot truck so' that it may contact with the plate, 1 6, at the side'of the rail, 3.

It should be remembered that when a train enters a block, the magnet, 15', becomes denergized and the armature, 19, closes the gap between'bars, 17, and, 18. It will 'also be' remembered that the bar, 17, is carried by the plate, 16, While the bar, 18, is .carried by the rail, When thereforemhe engine passes plate, 1G, on its way into a block when there is another train in said block the current from the battery, 38, on the engine will pass through wire, 41, Wheel, 42, rail, 3, bar, 18, to bar, 17, then through plate, 16, roller, 44, wire, 43, and back to battery. This shifting of the current through the circuit of least resistance willfcause the deneigization of the magnet, 35,"and will permit the spring, 37, to retract the armature, 3G, and thereby relieve the arm, 33, of the valve and `the latter to openio 'vent the train-pipe and tery on the vehicle and another connection Patent is,-

laway from the said bars; a 'normal circuit,

apply the. brakes. lt will be understood that the reason this air-brake mechanism is not oinerated` When the block is clear is that when clear7 the magnet, 15, is energized and the armature, 19, is held up and although the roller, 14, on the engine will Contact with through the rail because of the gap between bars, 17, and, 18.

Having thus described our inventipn what we claim and desire to secure by Letters 1. ln a device of the cliaracter described the combination with the two rails, of a source of electrical energy; ,connections between the source ot energy and the two rails; a contact plate'at-the side of the rail and adjacent the entrance to thc block; contact bars carried by the .plate and rail and normally spaced from each other; an armature for closing the gap between said bars', a magnet for normally holding the armature including the source of energy, the rail sections, and said magnet whereby to normallyv hold the armature out of contact with the said bars; a valve on the motor vehicle for controlling the air to the brakes; an electr` magnet also on the vehicle for controlling said valve to normally hold it in the inoperative position; a battery also on the vehicle for normally energizing said magnet; a contact device also on the vehicle to 'Contact with the plate atthe side of thc rails; a connection between the Contact device and the batfrom thesaid vehicle battery to the wheelo the vehicle.

2. A railway block signal comprising the two rails; a battery; connections between the v battery and the two rails; an electro-magnetic signaldevice; a valve on the motor 'vehicle for actuating the air-brakes: an electro-magnet for controlling said valve to hold it in the inoperative position; a battery on thevehicle 'for normally energizingl said magnet; a contact device also on the Vehicle and having a connection with the battery on the vehicle; another connection from the vehicle battery to the wheel or the vehicle; a contact plate at the side of the rail and adjacent the entrance .-to a block; contact bars carried by the plate and rail and being normall y spaced from each other; an armature for closing the gap between said bars; a magnet for normally holding the armature away from lhe'bars, and a circuit. including the battery, rail-sections, signal device and lastmamed magnet whereby the interruption et the circuit will permit the armature to complete the circuit'through vthe bars with the battery on the vehicle and thereby deenergize the magnet on the vehicle and permit the operation of the valve thereon.

3l A railway block signal comprising a battery; two insulated rail-sections at the entrance to a bloc r; signal device operated by an electro-magnet; a Contact plate adjacent the rail; an armature for closing a circuit through the rail and contact plate; an electro-magnet for operating the armature;

a third electro-magnet and arena-ture operated by ing' the three magnets whereby to electrically main tain the signal in the safety condition and to electrically maintain the armature between the contact plate and rail in the open position.

lnftestirnony whereof we ailix our signa tures in presence of two witnesses.

' HELENA J. JONES.-

, FRANK T. JONES. Vv'itnessesz' Crmnnns B. MANN, J r., f' (if. FanmNAND Voor.

the latter magnet, a circuit einbracbattery, both rail sections and all- 

